A £3 million housing complex for older people has been officially opened by Chesterfield Borough Council.

Parkside in Stand Road has 22 two-bedroom flats, each with a kitchen and lounge area, wet room type bathroom, hall and storage area.

Each flat also has a balcony, Juliette balcony or bay window, with most overlooking Stand Road Park.

In addition to individual facilities the complex has a common room, communal kitchen, assisted bathrooms, storage area for mobility scooters, courtyard and garden area.

The official opening was performed by Carol McManus, wife of former councillor and Alderman Jim McManus, who died in August last year. Alderman McManus had been a councillor for 28 years and cabinet member for housing for four years before he stood down from the council in May 2015.

The building has been dedicated jointly to the memory of Alderman McManus and Andy Simpson, Chesterfield Borough Council’s head of housing from July 1996 to July 2013, who died in February 2015.

Both men were involved in coming up with the plans to demolish the old Parkside and build a modern replacement in its place.

Councillor Tom Murphy, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “This is the first major new council housing development for five years and provides fantastic accommodation for the residents here.

“The residents have great views of the park from their balconies and have all told me how much they appreciate the new facilities.

“It was very fitting that the opening was carried out by Carol McManus as her late husband Jim, and his colleague Andy Simpson, were instrumental in making this project happen.

“I know they would both have been very proud to see the finished project and the benefits that it is bringing to the residents who have moved in.”

The complex has been built on the same site as the old Parkside building, which was demolished in 2014.

Residents moved in to the new Parkside building during the summer.

Parkside was designed by Franklin Ellis Architects and built by A&S Enterprises Ltd.

Projects to help people find work, to enable employers to plug skills gaps and for the area to retain highly-skilled graduates can now bid for more than £7million in funding, through the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership.

The financing is being provided through D2N2’s European Social Fund (ESF) allocation; itself part of the LEP’s wider €250milion in European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), which is being used to support a wide variety of business and economic growth activities over six years (up to 2020).

D2N2 is the private-sector led partnership of business, local authorities, skills and training providers, community and voluntary organisations, and others which promotes economic growth and creates job across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

Amounts from D2N2’s € 250m in ESIF funding are being released at regular intervals, with ‘calls’ for potential projects run by organisations to bid for the money.

This latest ‘call’ is to support three projects – all three funded through D2N2’s ESF allocation of funding – which are entitled as follows:

• Higher Skills Development – £4.7m to help the D2N2 LEP area retain more of its graduate talent, and create more business-based programmes to retain and develop them.
• Enterprise, Innovation and Pathways – £1.4m to raise awareness of career opportunities and access to careers support, particularly for more disadvantaged groups who are not already covered by other European Social Fund-supported programmes; such as Building Better Opportunities, INSPIRE Local, CAREERS Local, EMPLOY Local and SKILLS Local.
• Develop Sector Growth (focused support for SMEs in D2N2 LEP area growth sectors) – £1.1million for projects enhancing employers’ role in creating skills and training programmes in the D2N2 LEP area, which meet the needs of ‘skills gaps’ in companies’ workforces and help create new employment opportunities.

David Ralph, Chief Executive of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said:-

“Skills development lies at the heart of the D2N2 LEP’s Growth Strategy.

“Helping people gain skills which get them into work and then to develop knowledge which progresses their career is good for individuals, and the resulting pool of potential employees with the skills needed to plug gaps in their workforce is good for businesses.

“These three new initiatives, backed by £7.3million from D2N2’s European funding allocation, show the LEP’s commitment to skills development in its area and in getting business more involved with that.”

Organisations wishing to submit applications to any of the three funding calls above can find more information at the following website link www.gov.uk/european-structural-investment-funds?keywords=&funding_source%5B%5D=european-social-fund

Distribution and logistics giant Great Bear are making their mark on the Chesterfield regeneration site as they announce plans to open a second distribution centre creating up to 400 new jobs.

The announcement comes four months after the firm got the keys to their new distribution centre which is set to open next year at Markham Vale located at J29A of the M1.

Building work is set to start on the company’s second 479,285 sq.ft distribution centre in January 2017 and completed in June next year.

Established in 1994, the Chester-based firm operates in 30 locations nationwide providing warehousing and distribution for clients such as PZ Cussons, BMW, Unilever, Mars and Mondelez.

Peter Yarwood, Regional Operations Director at Great Bear Distribution, said:-

“The deal agreed between Henry Boot Developments for a second distribution unit is evidence of the quality of space Markham Vale has to offer.

“Being located on the M1 corridor, the site fits our needs perfectly.

“Henry Boot Developments has already delivered a bespoke facility for us at the site and we are confident the second unit will allow us to further enhance our capacity to service the wider UK more effectively.”

After successfully building Great Bear’s first unit at the site, Heage-based construction firm Bowmer & Kirkland have been appointed by Henry Boot Developments − Derbyshire County Council’s private sector property partner − to build the company’s second premises.

Councillor Anne Western, Derbyshire County Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Policy, Economic Development and Budget, said:-

“We’re really pleased Great Bear has chosen to build a second distribution centre at Markham Vale bringing a further 400 jobs.

“It shows great confidence in the site’s location and in Derbyshire as a place where businesses thrive and grow.

“We’re very proud of Markham’s progress to date − it’s now home to 40 businesses and has brought over 900 to jobs to the area so far.”

When Great Bear’s second distribution unit is complete, the firm will occupy just under one million sq.ft of land at Markham Vale making them the largest business on the site to date.

Vivienne Clement, Director at Henry Boot Developments, said:-

“This second investment by Great Bear is a testament to our successful approach to the delivery of high quality, bespoke buildings at Markham Vale.

“The new unit will join the 225,000 sq ft unit currently under construction for Ferdinand Bilstein UK on Markham Vale North, which is due to be completed in January 2017.”

There are proposals for a further development on the northern phase of Markham Vale.   A planning application for the development of a 90,000 sq.ft warehouse has been submitted to Chesterfield Borough Council for consideration.

The development is on target to create up to 4,100 jobs when finished.

This new application follows the latest businesses to join Markham Vale which include Great Bear Distribution and Ferdinand Bilstein UK which are both set to create up to 400 new jobs over the next few years.

The site is now home to 40 local, national and international businesses and has brought over 900 jobs to the area so far.

Existing occupiers include, Meter Provida, inspirepac, Gould Alloys, AW Repair Group, MSE Hiller, Squadron Medical, Industrial Ancillaries, Andrew Page, Holdsworth Foods and Ready Egg Products.

A commitment to bring business, create jobs and boost the local economy has been renewed  as Derbyshire County Council have signed a new four-year partnership with Henry Boot Developments for the continued growth of Markham Vale.

The Sheffield-based firm were appointed in 2003 as private sector property partner to develop the former Markham colliery into a flagship regeneration site. The development is on target to create up to 4,100 jobs when finished.

The latest businesses to join Markham Vale include Great Bear Distribution and Ferdinand Bilstein UK which are both set to create up to 400 new jobs over the next few years.

The site is now home to 40 local, national and international businesses and has brought over 900 jobs to the area so far.

Derbyshire County Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Policy, Economic Development and Budget, Councillor Anne Western said:

“Our partnership with Henry Boot Developments has been very successful to date and we’re delighted to sign another four-year agreement with them to take Markham Vale onto its final stages of development.”The site plays a key role in providing jobs for local people, helping businesses to grow and boosting Derbyshire’s economy which are all key priorities of ours.

“Markham’s excellent transport links being located just off junction 29A of the M1 continues to attract businesses and we’re looking forward to welcoming even more companies to the site in the next few months.”

Existing occupiers include, Meter Provida, inspirepac, Gould Alloys, AW Repair Group, MSE Hiller, Squadron Medical, Industrial Ancillaries, Andrew Page, Holdsworth Foods and Ready Egg Products.

Vivienne Clements, Director at Henry Boot Developments commented:

“We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Derbyshire County Council for a further four years. Our strong partnership has enabled us to establish Markham Vale as an unrivalled business and logistics hub in the region, and it is a testament to our success to date.”We have achieved a lot this year with the completion of Great Bear Distribution’s unit, the commencement of the Ferdinand Bilstein UK’s facility and we have a number of deals in the pipeline which we will deliver over the next 12 months.”

The University of Derby’s new £6.9 million Campus on Sheffield Road is another mark of the town’s continuing success in economic regeneration, the Duke of Devonshire said at its official opening on Thursday.

The conversion of the former St Helena Girls Grammar School will offer 21^st Century courses in healthcare, engineering, information technology and business to support the town’s growth.  Chesterfield Champions Henry Boot Construction and Frank Shaw Architects worked on the design and construction on the new campus.

The University has long had a presence in Chesterfield, but decided that a dedicated Campus was needed when demand for its highly-acclaimed nursing and public health courses exceeded space in its former base in offices in the Chesterfield Chamber complex.

The sympathetic conversion of the Grade II Listed building on Sheffield Road has retained most of its original features alongside a hi-tech, high spec learning environment for tomorrow’s nurses, engineers and business leaders.

St Helena was ahead of its time even when it was opened in 1911, as architect George Widdows pioneered the use of light and air to create classrooms which put pupils’ needs at its heart. His work was copied all over the world.

Restoring the large number of windows alone cost £1 million, and the Duke reminded guests that one of his family’s famous homes was known as “Hardwick Hall – more glass than wall.”

“I’m not sure that this doesn’t put Hardwick in the shade,” he said. “George Widdows understood the importance of the environment to students, which in 1911 was way ahead of its time.”

The Duke praised Chesterfield Borough Council for embracing the project from the start, adding:-

“The building is something I think Chesterfield, the University and all of Derbyshire should really be proud of. I regard it as another banner of Chesterfield’s success.”

University Vice-Chancellor Professor Kathryn Mitchell said that the University had invested heavily in keeping true to the traditions of the building, but such attention to detail had only been possible with the support of funding partners.

And its opening was the just the beginning of more partnerships in the region in business, engineering and technology as the new campus boasts an Innovation Centre that will allow SMEs to incubate new business ideas, increase their speed of growth and de-risk the process of developing new products.

“We hope to make a big difference to Chesterfield in the future,” she said.

Other facilities at the campus include a mock ward built close to NHS standards with “robot” patients who simulate illness and reactions to drugs, and an immersive suite with giant screens which create the backdrop to situations students will face at work, from the inside of an ambulance to a patient’s home.

Other courses at the Campus – many of which can be studied part-time – include HND Business and Management, BEng (Hons) Professional Engineering and FdSc Information Technology.

The Campus has received investment from partners including £3.48million from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, promoting economic growth across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

Funding and support from the European Regional Development Fund is contributing to the costs of equipment and support of the Innovation Centre at the Chesterfield Campus, which will support innovation and business growth as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in the D2N2 area.

The original panelling, bannisters and even some of the fireplaces have been saved, and the beautiful parquet floors restored.

The original sash windows were restored but with double-glazing to meet energy efficiency targets at a cost of £1 million pounds.

As the only Higher Education (HE) institution in Derbyshire, the University plans to encourage businesses and the workforce to grow in Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire by providing new, local progression pathways to higher level skills provisions.

It will also:

• raise aspirations and ambition amongst young learners by having a University presence in the town;
• encourage more adults to consider self-employment as an alternative to unemployment;
• create a more resilient workforce and assist in retaining more young talent in the Chesterfield area.

Research commissioned by the University into the economic impact of its Buxton Campus ­-  which this year celebrates a decade since its official opening – showed that it supported 500 jobs annually through a total spend of £32 million, a result which it is hoped will be replicated in Chesterfield.